Ship s log



(Nd Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. S. NEGUS. SHIPS LOG.

No. 481,241. Patented Aug. 23, 1892.

INVENTOR:

I jdm/a. 7

.dttorney.

(No Model.) 2 sheets Sheet 2. Q

J. S. NEGUS. SHIPS LOG.

No. 481,241. Patented Aug. 23, 1892.

! INVENTORI WITNESSES: I

@MI By n I Attorney.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN S. NEGUS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SHIPS LOG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 481,241, dated August23, 1892.

Application filed April 22, 1892. Serial No. 430,181. (N 0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. NEGUS, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Brooklyn, Kings county, New York, have invented certainImprovements in Ships Logs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of ships logs wherein a registeringmechanism on board the moving vessel indicates the rotations of apropeller or rotator in the water through the medium of a rope or line.I hen logs of this character are used in rough water, the motion of thevessel and the lateral swerving of the rotator-line put the latter undervarying strains and cause it to whip or lash about, thereby subjectingthe spindle of the registering mechanism, to which the line is secured,to severe side draft in addition to the direct pull of the rotator.Under these conditions the rotative force of the rotator is appliedthrough the line to said spindle with great irregularity, causing thelatter to race or rotate with excessive rapidity at times and at othertimes to nearly or quite stop, and this tendency is greatlyincreased bythe heavy side draft and consequent increase in friction to which thespindle of the log as ordinarily constructed is frequently subjected.Some attempt has been made in constructing such logs to lessen thefriction which resists rotation of the spindle when a directlongitudinal pull is applied thereto, antifriction rollers beinginterposed between the bearing-surfaces, but so far as I am aware noattempt has been made to lessen the friction and wear produced by thelateral or oblique strains applied to the spindle; and the object of myinvention is in part to provide an antifrictionbearing at its inner endto reduce the friction due to the direct longitudinal pull and anotherantifriction-bearing at its outer end to reduce the friction due tolateral or oblique strains.

Other features of the invention relate to the mounting of the log inswivel-bearings.

My invention will be fully described hereinafter, and its novel featurescarefully defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illus trate a ships log embodying myimprovements, Figure 1 is a side elevation of log or of that portionembodying my improvements.

I have not deemed it necessary to show the rotator and its line, as theymay be of the usual kind. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section ofthe log on a somewhat larger scale than Fig. 1. This view shows only apart of the case containing the registering mechanism. Fig. 2 is adetail view of the driver of the registering mechanism. Fig. 3 is afront or end elevation of the log, as seen from the left in Fig. 2.

A represents the case, which contains the registering mechanism, whichlatter, being of the usual kind, is not illustrated fully. In Fig. 2, ais the driving worm-shaft of this mechanism, and from this the train andindex are driven.

B is a bearing-block secured to the case A and mounted on trunnions inthe fork O, which is rotatively mounted in a socketed base D.

E is the spindle of the log, which passes through the block 13 and bearson its outer end a balance-wheel F and a ring or eye G, to which therotator-line is secured.

The manner of providing antifriction-bearings for the spindle E in theblock B is an important feature of my invention, and this I will nowdescribe with especial reference to Fig. 2. On the inner end of thespindle E is secured a collar or bearing-head e, which has an annularconcave track on its face, and between this track and a similar concavetrack formed in the inner end of the bearing-block B areplaced steelballs g. These balls and their tracks form an antifriction-bearing toreduce or eliminate the friction which opposes rotation of the spindlewhen a direct pull is exerted by the rotator. At the other or outer endof the block B the spindle E is provided with a similarantifriction-bearing designed to reduce or eliminate the friction whichopposes rotation of the spindle when subjected to lateral or obliquestrains. This latter bearing is formed by a collar e on the spindle,similar to or like the collar e, and steel balls g interposed betweenthe concave track on this collar and a similar concave track formed inthe end of the block B. The tracks in the ends of the block may beformed of annular concave plates h, set in recesses in the block. Byinspection of Fig. 2 it will be seen that no part of the spindle E bearson the block, the only bearing being on the two sets of balls, and itwill also be noted that the bearing-collars e and e embrace the blockand balls in such a manner as to prevent any end- Wise play of thespindle. Furthermore, it will be noted that any side draft or lateralstrains applied to the outer end of the spindle will be transmittedoutward through the balls 9 to the track in the block. Any unduelooseness of the spindle in its bearings due to wear may be taken up byscrewing the collar e inwardly upon the spindle, said collar beingscrewed thereon. The collar e has notches in its periphery and is heldagainst rotation by means of a dog 7; on the boss of the wheel F,adapted to engage one or more of said notches. The spindle E drives theWormshaft a through the medium of a crank-stud j in the collar e, whichengages a cross-piece 7.: on the end of the wormshaft (1.

The stem of the fork C, where it finds a r0- tative bearing in the baseD, has a shoulder where it rests on said base and a circumferentialgroove m, which receives the tip of a retaining-screw m, as seen in Fig.2.

Fig. 1 illustrates the construction of the mounting of the block B ontrunnions in the fork. In the two prongs of the fork are formed hearingsto receive the trunnions n on the block, and in order that the saidtrunnions may pass into the bearings by a lateral movement and afterwardbe retained in place therein an entering-slot 0 is formed in the side ofeach prong and opening into the bearing. This slot is somewhat less inwidth than the diameter of the trunnion n, and the latter is cut away atn so as to reduce it sufficiently to allow it to pass through the slot.The plane of the flattened face at it is arranged substantially at rightangles to the axis of the bore in the block B, through which the spindleE passes. The object of this is to render it necessary to turn theinstrument upright, with the bore of the block B substantially vertical,before the trunnions can be passed laterally through the slots intotheir bearings, and this must be done before the spindle E is secured inits hearings in the block. After the parts of the instrument areassembled and secured together, as in Fig. 1, it cannot be dismountedwithout previous removal of the parts necessary to allow the spindle Eto be withdrawn from the block B. The balance-wheel F is concentricallymounted on the spindle E, exteriorly of the outer bearing of the latter,and its purpose is to impart an even rate of speed to the spindle underthe rotative force applied irregularly thereto by the rotator-line.

As herein shown, the case A and block 13 are made separately, the blockbeing secured to the case by means of screws; but this particular formis not essential and may be varied. For example, the case and block maybe made integral and they may be of any suitable form.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a ships log, thecombination, with a registering mechanism, its case provided withtrunnions and the support in which said trunnions find a bearing, of therotative operating-spindle E, provided near its inner end with a driverfor said mechanism, and an antifriction-bearing to reduce the frictionarising from the longitudinal strain or pull, and with a ball-bearin gnear its outer end to reduce the friction due to lateral and obliquestrains, substantially as set forth.

2. A ships log having its rotating spindle E provided with anantifriction-bearing near its inner end to reduce the friction arisingfrom the longitudinal strain or pull, a ballbearing near its outer endto reduce the friction due to lateral and oblique strains, and abalance-wheel fixed concentrically thereon.

3. The combination, with the rotator and rotator-line of a ships log, ofthe block B, mounted to rock on trunnions, the register mechanism andits case, and the register-operating spindle rotatively mounted in saidblock and attached to the rotator-line, said spindle being provided withan antifrictionbearing near its inner end to reduce the friction arisingfrom the longitudinal strain or pull, and a ball-bearing near its outerend to reduce the friction due to lateral and oblique strains,substantially as set forth.

i. In a ships log, the combination, with the socketed support 0,provided with trunnionbearings having narrow openings 0 in their sides,of the block B,provided with trunnions 91, having reduced flattenedfaces '17) substantially at right angles to the bore of said block, andthe spindle E, rotatively mounted in said bore, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

5. In a ships log, the combination,with the socketed support 0, providedwith trunnionbearings having narrow openings 0 in their sides, the blockB, provided with trunnions 72, having reduced flattened faces 'nsubstantially at right angles to the bore of said block, and the spindleE, rotatively mounted in said block, of the balance-wheel F,concentrically mounted on said spindle, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOHN S. NEGUS. \Vitnesses:

HERBERT BLOSSOM, ROBERT MITCHELL.

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